He was born Sept. 17, 1988, in Eugene, said his grandfather, Tim Robins of Florence. During the summers, Brice Scott would visit his grandfather and loved to ride ATVs. He went to North Eugene High School for a time before dropping out, Robins said. But he received his degree through Job Corps and got a carpentry apprenticeship following that.

When the economy tanked, though, Brice Scott lost his job and enlisted in the Army to support his wife and two daughters.

By enlisting, Brice Scott joined a long line of family members who had served. Steven Scott, who was a cavalry tank commander in the Army, encouraged his son to serve on a tank, but Brice Scott wanted to be a cavalry scout, even if it was more dangerous.

"He was exceptional at it," Steven Scott said.

Robins said his grandson was an even-tempered man who was a devoted husband and father.

"I learned a lot from him about keeping my temper," Robins said.

Both Robins and Steven Scott said they were not surprised Brice Scott was trying to help a fellow soldier when he was killed. He was always thinking of others before himself, his family said.

"He did the toughest job so other people wouldn't have to," Steven Scott said.

There was a military service held in Brice Scott's honor last week in Florence. American flags lined the coastal town's streets and a Coast Guard helicopter did a fly-by, Robins said.

"It was a hero's service," Robins said. "Regular people don't get that kind of service."

There will be another service in Kansas in the coming days, Steven Scott said. Brice Scott's wife and 1-year-old and 3-year-old daughters are still living in Fort Riley, where Brice Scott was stationed before his deployment.

Steven Scott asked that people donated to the Oregon Coast Military Heritage Museum in his son's honor.

"The pride that I have in the cavalry and in my son is beyond ... you just can't put words to it," Steven Scott said.